LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- All-Star Shaquille O'Neal scored 27 of
his 37 points in the first half as the Los Angeles Lakers
notched their 11th straight home victory over the Minnesota
Timberwolves, 114-81.

O'Neal scored 18 straight Lakers points during a 20-7 run as Los
Angeles opened a 44-25 lead with 6:03 left in the first half. He
was 9-of-13 from the floor, 9-of-11 from the line and grabbed 11
rebounds, helping the Lakers to a 54-41 lead at halftime.

"I was just telling my guys to get the ball to me because I was
hitting my free throws (15-of-20)," O'Neal said. "My guys were
looking for me and everything was going pretty good. If they
would have looked for me a little more in the second half, I
would have had 60."

The Lakers, who have not lost to the Timberwolves at home since
December 5, 1993, shot 46 percent (18-of-39) from the floor and
18-of-21 from the line in the opening half. It was their final
contest before Sunday's All-Star Game in Oakland.

"I think it is tough to maintain any momentum after an All-Star
break," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "You come apart and you
come together again and four or five days later you are in
snowbound country. It will be difficult."

Minnesota, which fell for the second time in four games, was
just 8-of-11 from the stripe and suffered its most lopsided loss
to Los Angeles. The previous worst was a 110-86 setback on
December 8, 1996.

"I was not happy with anything tonight and the sad thing was
that we had two extremely good practices in the last two days,"
Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said. "But for some reason,
mentally, we did not come out as aggressive against them
tonight."

The Wolves climbed within 11 points early in the second half but
the Lakers gained control with a 17-5 burst, opening a 71-48
lead with 3:23 left in the third quarter. Kobe Bryant had seven
points and O'Neal and A.C. Green added four in the run.

O'Neal made 11-of-16 shots and grabbed 16 rebounds for Los
Angeles (37-11), which has won three in a row and remained
within one-half game of Portland for the league's best record.
The Lakers were 31-19 in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 campaign.

"Shaq's probably the best player in the NBA," Wolves forward
Kevin Garnett said. "I've always said that when he starts to
hit his free throws, you guys will start to recognize that, if
you don't know that already."

Bryant scored 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting to help the Lakers
shoot 48 percent (38-of-79) and come within two points of their
largest margin of victory this season. They defeated Denver,
130-95, on January 10.

"I think that it was a very good first half of the season,"
Bryant said. "We're ahead of where Phil expected us to be and
I'm sure where you thought we'd be."

Garnett scored 29 points and Tom Hammonds added 12 for the
Wolves, who shot 34 percent (30-of-88) from the floor and visit
Phoenix on Thursday in their final game before the All-Star
break.